Councilman: Anzolut forced out by Council

Thursday

Apr 1, 2010 at 12:01 AMSep 9, 2014 at 5:14 PM

COLONIAL HEIGHTS - A day after Richard Anzolut abruptly resigned as city manager, a city official says that Anzolut was forced to resign.Councilman John T. Wood, who was the only City Council member who voted against accepting the resignation on Tuesday

COLONIAL HEIGHTS - A day after Richard Anzolut abruptly resigned as city manager, a city official says that Anzolut was forced to resign.

Councilman John T. Wood, who was the only City Council member who voted against accepting the resignation on Tuesday night, said Anzolut's departure was an "involuntary termination."

"The process was inherently deceitful," Wood said. "It was done in such a fashion to make it look like Council was accepting his resignation."

But Wood observed that no competent, professional would walk away from a leadership position like Anzolut's without a transition or more notice. Wood added that majority of Council was prepared to issue a no confidence vote against Anzolut and ask that the city manager be terminated if he didn't resign. "He was forced to," Wood said.

Wood wouldn't elaborate on why other members found Anzolut so suddenly dissatisfactory - City Council gave him a favorable evaluation during his last annual review in November 2009.

Meanwhile, most city officials were mum on the reason for Anzolut's departure - including Anzolut himself.

"I have no comment on it," said Anzolut yesterday. Anzolut served as city manager for five years and four months. The former city manager said he wouldn't even comment on what he feels his accomplishments were while leading the city were.

In the past year, Council has held closed sessions five times to discuss the performance of Anzolut. The most recent two such sessions on Jan. 22 and March 16 included discussion of his assignment. At the Jan. 22 closed session, City Council also talked to the city attorney for "consultation on personnel matters."

Wood said that recent "rumors and innuendo" created an opportunity for Anzolut to be forced out. "I believe he should have been judged on his ability to continue in his job position," Wood said. He added that his own inquiry into the matter revealed that Anzolut was still a capable leader that other city staffers believed in.

On Tuesday night, Anzolut delivered a presentation on the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year and - Wood says that was a testament to Anzolut's ability to continue to perform. Council later that same night by a 5-1 vote accepted his resignation effective Tuesday.

Colonial Heights Mayor Scott Davis said that Council gave Anzolut a severance package that includes 120 days of pay or $43,057, less deductions. He also received $23,262 for unused annual leave, less deductions, according to City Attorney Chip Fisher.

Davis said that the severance package was given to Anzolut as he was a contract employee with no set term. "Employees of Council are 'at will' so there is no set time on a contract," Davis explained.

Davis declined to discuss reasons Anzolut might have resigned, stating that it was a personnel matter. He also declined to discuss Anzolut's performance as city manager beyond saying: "When he was hired, he did a good job of building a team and turning around several city departments. Overall he's done good things in his tenure as city manager."

Others on Council agreed that Anzolut had performed well as city manager.

"I thought he's done a good job, and he's really done a lot while he was here and personally I wish him the best of luck in the future," said Councilman Milton Freeland after Tuesday night's meeting.

Freeland said that he personally had a feeling that the resignation was coming but refused to elaborate, saying it was a personnel matter.

But Woods even disputes whether City Council members can discuss the matter. "It's a personnel matter if Council were disciplining a city employee," Wood said. "He's an employee of Council and Council members can choose or not choose to make their thoughts known."

Until City Council can begin a formal search process, the city's Director of Finance Bill Johnson has been appointed as acting city manager.

Some of Anzolut's achievements include seeing the city acquire the former Colonial Heights Baptist Church property, restructuring the police and public works departments and creation of a new city park.

"He was not my first choice for the position five years ago," Wood said. "But through the years he proved he had a capacity to get things done." Wood added that he thinks there might be some negative side effects from the forced resignation, including a decrease in morale and discontinuity in continuing projects.

"I don't like the attitude that every Council needs to exercise it's authority by ousting those that came before them," Wood said.

- F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 3254 or fwiggins@progress-index.com.

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